The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus, and particularly relates to waste toner collection in an image forming apparatus.
Image forming apparatus, such as electrophotographic (EP) printers or copiers, typically use a particulate developer material (toner) in their imaging operations. Such machines form output images by depositing toner onto a charged roller or other photosensitive member according to a latent print image and then running that toner to a media sheet.
Some amount of residual toner remains on the photosensitive member after image transfer and requires removal, such as by bringing a cleaning blade or other scraping mechanism into contact with the photosensitive member. The waste toner thus removed oftentimes is collected within a container included in the image forming apparatus. Potentially significant amounts of waste toner may be collected over time, particularly in machines that include multiple process cartridges, each of which acts as a source of waste toner.